Releasable Connections for Golf Club Heads and Shafts/US

ABSTRACT

Golf club heads are releasably engaged with shafts so that the club heads and shafts can be readily interchanged and/or so that the shaft position with respect to the club head can be readily changed. Golf clubs are provided that have spherical releasable connections between the golf club head and the golf club shaft along with head/shaft position adjusting features to allow interchange of shafts and heads and to allow modification of the head/shaft positioning properties. Assemblies for connecting the club head and shaft may include: a shaft adapter, a shaft retainer, and a hosel insert located within an interior chamber of the club head. The club head and shaft may be changed by releasing the securing system and exchanging the original parts with different parts. Furthermore, the shaft adapter may be rotated within the hosel insert to create different angles from the shaft so as to allow adjustment of the shaft position with respect to the club head.

This application is a continuation of pending U.S. patent applicationSer. No. 13/862,837 filed Apr. 15, 2013 which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/455,853 filed Apr. 25, 2012, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,419,563, issued Apr. 16, 2013 which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 13/098,017 filed Apr. 29, 2011, now U.S.Pat. No. 8,182,358, issued May 22, 2012, which is a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 12/269,662 filed Nov. 12, 2008, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,963,855, issued Jun. 21, 2011. This priority application isentirely incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates generally to golf clubs and golf club heads. Moreparticularly, aspects of this invention relate to golf clubs havingreleasable connections between the golf club head and the shaft andhead/shaft position adjusting features to allow interchange of shaftsand heads and to allow modification of the head/shaft positioningproperties.

BACKGROUND

Golf is enjoyed by a wide variety of players—players of differentgenders and dramatically different ages and/or skill levels. Golf issomewhat unique in the sporting world in that such diverse collectionsof players can play together in golf events, even in direct competitionwith one another (e.g., using handicapped scoring, different tee boxes,in team formats, etc.), and still enjoy the golf outing or competition.These factors, together with the increased availability of golfprogramming on television (e.g., golf tournaments, golf news, golfhistory, and/or other golf programming) and the rise of well known golfsuperstars, at least in part, have increased golf's popularity in recentyears, both in the United States and across the world.

Golfers at all skill levels seek to improve their performance, lowertheir golf scores, and reach that next performance “level.”Manufacturers of all types of golf equipment have responded to thesedemands, and in recent years, the industry has witnessed dramaticchanges and improvements in golf equipment. For example, a wide range ofdifferent golf ball models now are available, with balls designed tocomplement specific swing speeds and/or other player characteristics orpreferences, e.g., with some balls designed to fly farther and/orstraighter; some designed to provide higher or flatter trajectories;some designed to provide more spin, control, and/or feel (particularlyaround the greens); some designed for faster or slower swing speeds;etc. A host of swing and/or teaching aids also are available thatpromise to help lower one's golf scores.

Being the sole instrument that sets a golf ball in motion during play,golf clubs also have been the subject of much technological research andadvancement in recent years. For example, the market has seen dramaticchanges and improvements in putter designs, golf club head designs,shafts, and grips in recent years. Additionally, other technologicaladvancements have been made in an effort to better match the variouselements and/or characteristics of the golf club and characteristics ofa golf ball to a particular user's swing features or characteristics(e.g., club fitting technology, ball launch angle measurementtechnology, ball spin rates, etc.).

Given the recent advances, there is a vast array of golf club componentparts available to the golfer. For example, club heads are produced by awide variety of manufacturers in a variety of different models.Moreover, the individual club head models may include multiplevariations, such as variations in the loft angle, lie angle, offsetfeatures, weighting characteristics (e.g., draw biased club heads, fadebiased club heads, neutrally weighted club heads, etc.). Additionally,the club heads may be combined with a variety of different shafts, e.g.,from different manufacturers; having different stiffnesses, flex points,kick points, or other flexion characteristics, etc.; made from differentmaterials; etc. Between the available variations in shafts and clubheads, there are literally hundreds of different club head/shaftcombinations available to the golfer.

Club fitters and golf professionals can assist in fitting golfers with agolf club head/shaft combination that suits their swing characteristicsand needs. Conventionally, however, golf club heads are permanentlymounted to shafts using cements or adhesives. Therefore, to enable agolfer to test a variety of head/shaft combinations, the club fitter orprofessional must carry a wide selection of permanently mounted golfclub head/shaft combinations (which takes up a considerable amount ofstorage space and inventory costs) or the club fitter or professionalmust build new clubs for the customer as the fitting process continues(which takes a substantial amount of time and inventory costs). Thedisadvantages associated with these conventional options serve to limitthe choices available to the golfer during a fitting session and/orsignificantly increase the expense and length of a session.

SUMMARY

The following presents a general summary of aspects of the invention inorder to provide a basic understanding of the invention and variousfeatures of it. This summary is not intended to limit the scope of theinvention in any way, but it simply provides a general overview andcontext for the more detailed description that follows.

Aspects of this invention relate to systems and methods for connectinggolf club heads to shafts in a releasable manner so that the club headsand shafts can be readily interchanged and/or so that the angle and/orposition of the shaft with respect to the club head body (and its ballstriking face) can be readily changed. Golf club head/shaft connectionassemblies in accordance with examples of this invention may include agolf club shaft, a golf club head, a shaft retainer, a hosel insert, anda shaft adapter. The golf club head may have an interior chamber. Thehosel insert may be located at least partially within the interiorchamber. The hosel insert may also have an outer perimeter and innerperimeter. The outer perimeter may be configured to be engaged withinthe interior chamber. The inner perimeter may include a rotationinhibiting structure. The hosel insert may be configured to releasablyreceive and secure the shaft retainer. The shaft retainer may beconfigured to be slidably engaged on the golf club shaft. The shaftadapter may have an upper end and a lower end. The upper end may beattached to the golf club shaft. The lower end may have a sphericalmember configured to mate with at least a portion of the rotationinhibiting structure to prevent rotation of the shaft adapter inrelation to the club head. The shaft adapter may be inserted into thehosel insert of the golf club head at a plurality of differentconfigurations. Each configuration may provide a different clubcharacteristic than another configuration.

Furthermore, the shaft adapter may include an axial direction changeregion which when rotated may cause the club to have various anglesand/or positions of the shaft with respect to the club head (e.g.,variable lie, loft, and face angle combinations).

In one embodiment, the spherical connection assembly is a faceted ball.The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by a mating facelocated within the inner perimeter of the hosel insert. The sphericalmember may include at least one facet that is configured to mate withthe mating face. When the shaft adapter is in a first configuration, afirst facet may be mated with the mating face. Conversely, when thespherical member is rotated within the hosel insert and when the shaftadapter is in a second configuration, a second facet may be mated withthe mating face, which provides a different club characteristic than thefirst configuration.

In another embodiment, the spherical connection assembly is a pinnedball. The spherical member may include at least one shaft adapter pingroove. The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by a roll pinand a hosel insert pin groove. The hosel insert pin groove may beconfigured to align with the shaft adapter pin groove in order to slidethe roll pin through the hosel insert pin groove and the shaft adapterpin groove. When the shaft adapter is in a first configuration, a firstshaft adapter pin groove is aligned with the hosel insert pin groove andpinned using the roll pin. Conversely, when the spherical member isrotated within the hosel insert and when the shaft adapter is in asecond configuration, a second shaft adapter pin groove is aligned withthe hosel insert pin groove and pinned using the roll pin, whichprovides a different club characteristic than the first configuration.

In another embodiment, the spherical connection assembly is apin-and-hole. The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by amating face located within the inner perimeter of the hosel insert. Themating face may further include a plurality of different angled matingfaces within the hosel insert. The spherical member may include a facetthat is configured to mate with one of the mating faces. When the shaftadapter is in a first configuration, the facet may be mated with a firstangled mating face. Conversely, when the spherical member is rotatedwithin the hosel insert and when the shaft adapter is in a secondconfiguration, the facet may be mated with a second angled mating face,which provides a different club characteristic than the firstconfiguration.

In another embodiment, the spherical connection assembly is a tabbedball. The spherical member may include a tab. The rotation inhibitingstructure may be defined by at least one receiving slot located withinthe hosel insert and configured to receive the tab. When the shaftadapter is in a first configuration, the tab may be inserted into atleast a first receiving slot. Conversely, when the spherical member isrotated within the hosel insert and when the shaft adapter is in asecond configuration, the tab may be inserted into a second receivingslot, which provides a different club characteristic than the firstconfiguration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention and certainadvantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the followingdetailed description in consideration with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 illustrates a frontal view of an illustrative golf club accordingto embodiments of the invention;

FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of a shaft adapter according toillustrative embodiments of the invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate perspective views of a golf club connectionwith a faceted ball connection assembly according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention; specifically, FIG. 3A shows an exploded topperspective view of the golf club connection assembly and FIG. 3B showsa side/bottom perspective view of the golf club connection assembly;

FIGS. 4A and 4B illustrate perspective views of a golf club connectionassembly with a pinned ball connection assembly according to anillustrative embodiment of the invention; specifically, FIG. 4A shows anexploded side perspective view of the golf club connection assembly andFIG. 4B shows a top perspective view of the golf club connectionassembly connected to a golf club head;

FIGS. 5A-5C illustrate perspective views of a golf club connection witha pin-and-hole connection assembly according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention; specifically, FIG. 5A shows an exploded topperspective view of the golf club connection assembly, FIG. 5B shows atop perspective view of the hosel insert, and FIG. 5C shows a sideperspective view of the golf club connection assembly connected to agolf club head;

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate perspective views of a golf club connectionwith a tabbed ball connection assembly according to an illustrativeembodiment of the invention; specifically, FIG. 6A shows an explodedside perspective view of the golf club connection assembly and FIG. 6Bshows a top perspective view of the golf club connection assemblyconnected to a golf club head; and

FIG. 7 is a chart illustrating the modification of certaincharacteristics of a golf club according to various embodiments of theinvention.

The reader is advised that the attached drawings are not necessarilydrawn to scale.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following description of various example structures in accordancewith the invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings,which form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustrationvarious example connection assemblies, golf club heads, and golf clubstructures in accordance with aspects of the invention. Additionally, itis to be understood that other specific arrangements of parts andstructures may be utilized and structural and functional modificationsmay be made without departing from the scope of the present invention.Also, while the terms “top,” “bottom,” “front,” “back,” “rear,” “side,”“underside,” “overhead,” and the like may be used in this specificationto describe various example features and elements of the invention,these terms are used herein as a matter of convenience, e.g., based onthe example orientations shown in the figures and/or the orientations intypical use. Nothing in this specification should be construed asrequiring a specific three dimensional or spatial orientation ofstructures in order to fall within the scope of this invention.

In general, as described above, aspects of this invention relate tosystems and methods for connecting golf club heads to shafts in areleasable manner so that the club heads and shafts can be readilyinterchanged and/or repositioned with respect to one another. Specificexamples of the invention are described in more detail below. The readershould understand that these specific examples are set forth merely toillustrate examples of the invention, and they should not be construedas limiting the invention.

A. Examples of Specific Embodiments 1. Illustrative Club Structure

FIG. 1 generally depicts an illustrative golf club 100 in accordancewith at least some embodiments of the invention. The illustrative golfclub 100 includes a club head 102, a releasable club head/shaftconnection assembly 104 that connects the club head 102 to a shaft 106(which will be described in more detail below), and a grip member 108engaged with the shaft 106. While a driver or wood-type golf club head102 is illustrated in FIG. 1, aspects of this invention may be appliedto any type of club head, including, for example: fairway wood clubheads; iron type golf club heads (of any desired loft, e.g., from a0-iron or 1-iron to a wedge); wood or iron type hybrid golf club heads;putter heads; and the like. The club heads may be made from suitablematerials, in suitable constructions, in suitable manners, as are knownand used in the art, optionally modified (if necessary, e.g., in size,shape, etc.) to accommodate the releasable club head/shaft connectionparts.

The various parts of the club head/shaft connection assembly 104 may bemade from any desired or suitable materials without departing from thisinvention. For example, one or more of the various parts may be madefrom a metal material, including lightweight metals conventionally usedin golf club head constructions, such as aluminum, titanium, magnesium,nickel, alloys of these materials, steel, stainless steel, and the like,optionally anodized finished materials. Alternatively, if desired, oneor more of the various parts may be made from rigid polymeric materials,such as polymeric materials conventionally known and used in the golfclub industry. The various parts may be made from the same or differentmaterials without departing from this invention. In one specificexample, each of the various parts will be made from a 7075 aluminumalloy material having a hard anodized finish. The parts may be made insuitable manners as are known and used in the metal working and/orpolymer production arts.

Any desired materials also may be used for the shaft member 106,including suitable materials that are known and used in the art, such assteel, graphite, polymers, composite materials, combinations of thesematerials, etc. Optionally, if necessary or desired, the shaft may bemodified (e.g., in size, shape, etc.) to accommodate the releasable clubhead/shaft connection parts. The grip member 108 may be engaged with theshaft 106 in any desired manner, including in any suitable manners thatare known and used in the art (e.g., via cements or adhesives, viamechanical connections, etc.). Any desired materials may be used for thegrip member 108, including suitable materials that are known and used inthe art, such as rubber, polymeric materials, cork, rubber or polymericmaterials with cord or other fabric elements embedded therein, cloth orfabric, tape, etc. Optionally, if desired, the grip member 108 (or anysuitable handle member) may be releasably connected to the shaft 106using a releasable connection like releasable connection assembly 104(examples of which will be described in more detail below).

2. Illustrative Spherical Releasable Connection Assembly

FIGS. 3A and 3B depict an illustrative embodiment for the sphericalreleasable connection assembly. The following general description aboutthe spherical releasable connection assembly utilizes these FIGS. 3A and3B. This general description also applies to the embodiments in FIGS.4-6.

The spherical releasable connection assembly 104 between golf club headsand shafts in accordance with aspects of this invention may include ashaft adapter 120, a hosel insert 130, and a shaft retainer 140. Thehosel insert 130 may be at least partially located within an interiorchamber 110 of the golf club head 102. The shaft adapter 120 may bereleasably connected to the hosel insert 130. The shaft retainer 140 maybe slidably engaged along the golf club shaft 106 and may be secured tothe hosel insert 130, thereby securing the shaft adapter 120 firmlyagainst the hosel insert 130.

a. Interior Chamber

The golf club head 102 may comprise an interior chamber 110 configuredto receive a hosel insert 130. The interior chamber 110 may be machinedinto the golf club head 102 during manufacturing of the head 102. In oneembodiment, the chamber 110 is created by drilling or otherwiseexcavating a portion of golf club head 102. In this regard, at least aportion of the outer perimeter of the chamber 110 comprises the samematerials as the golf club head 102. Yet in other embodiments, one ormore different materials may be secured in any desired manner, e.g., viacements or adhesives; via welding, brazing, soldering, or other fusingtechniques; via mechanical connectors; via a friction fit; etc. In oneembodiment, the one or more materials may be less dense than thesurrounding portion of the golf club head 102, as to provide absorbingproperties and/or snug fit.

b. Hosel Insert

As shown in FIG. 3A, the interior chamber 110 may be configured toreceive a hosel insert 130. The hosel insert 130 may be at leastpartially located within the interior chamber 110. Placement of thehosel insert 130 within the interior chamber 110 can reduce thelikelihood of damaging the hosel insert 130 upon usage and storage ofthe club head 102, even in the event of external damage to the club head102.

The hosel insert 130 has an outer perimeter and an inner perimeter. Theouter perimeter may be configured to be engaged with the interiorchamber 110 of the golf club head 102. The inner perimeter may include arotation inhibiting structure 132. Illustrative rotation inhibitingstructures 132 that may be used in accordance with embodiments of theinvention are illustrated in FIGS. 3-6 and described in more detailbelow.

The hosel insert 130 is configured to releasably receive and secure ashaft retainer 140. As shown in FIG. 3A, the example hosel insert 130comprises threaded securing structures that are configured tothreadingly engage threaded structures of a complementing shaft retainer140. The use of threaded structures permits tight precise fittings andallows for the quick separation of the golf club head 102 from the shaftretainer 140. While threaded securing structures may be used in certainembodiments, those of skill in the art will readily appreciate that anyhosel insert 130 that releasably receives and secures a shaft retainer140 is within the scope of the invention. For example, the hosel insert130 may include other structures that hold a shaft retainer 140 inplace. If desired, slots, openings, or grooves that provide access tostructures extending from or into the hosel insert 130 and/or the shaftretainer 140 may be used to hold these components in place with respectto one another.

c. Shaft Adapter

FIG. 2 shows an illustrative shaft adapter 120. The shaft adapter 120has an upper end 122 and a lower end 124. The upper end 122 may beconfigured to securely attach to a club shaft (not shown), e.g., bycements or adhesives, by mechanical connectors (optionally releasableconnectors), by friction fit, etc. As seen in FIGS. 3A and 3B, theillustrative shaft adapter 120 may be hollow and may be sized to receivea free end portion of a golf shaft 106. Conversely, the shaft adapter120 may also be sized to be received within a hollow portion at the freeend of a golf shaft 106. Those of skill in the art will readilyappreciate that the shaft adapter 120 is not required to be hollow andmay securely attach to a club shaft 106 by any suitable methods andmechanisms, including for example, e.g., via cements or adhesives; viawelding, brazing, soldering, or other fusing techniques; via mechanicalconnectors; via a friction fit; etc. Further, the connection of theshaft adapter 120 to the golf club shaft 106 may be releasable, so as toallow the shaft to be easily and quickly switched. Yet, in otherembodiments, the shaft adapter 120 may be integral to or otherwisepermanently affixed to the shaft. This may be advantageous, for example,to prevent a user from using a less-than desirable shaft with a specificclub head 102.

1. Spherical Member

The lower end 124 of the shaft adapter 120 may be defined by a sphericalmember. The spherical member 124 may be configured to releasably matewith the hosel insert 130. As will be discussed below, there may be manydifferent examples of how the spherical member 124 and shaft adapter 120can mate to the hosel insert 130. The spherical member 124 of the shaftadapter 120 may take on a wide variety of forms in golf club head/shaftconnection assemblies 104 in accordance with examples of this invention.FIGS. 3A and 3B provide one example. As seen in FIG. 3A, the lower end124 of the shaft adapter 120 comprises a spherical member 124 configuredto mate with at least a portion of the rotation inhibiting structure 132of the hosel insert 130.

In some examples, the spherical member 124 will extend less than 50% ofan overall axial length of the shaft adapter 120, and it may extend lessthan 35%, less than 25%, or even less than 15% of the overall axiallength of the shaft adapter 120. This feature can help keep the overallconnection assembly relatively short, compact, and lightweight. Asdiscussed below, the configuration of the shaft adapter 120 and itsarrangement with respect to the club head body 102 may be utilized toadjust various positions and/or angles in relation to the golf club head102 during use.

2. Direction Change Region

Additional aspects of this invention relate to the spherical member 124having a direction change region. Releasable golf club head/shaftconnection assemblies 104 may enable club fitters (or others) to adjustvarious positions and/or angles of the club head 102 (and its ballstriking face) with respect to the free end (grip 108) of the shaft 106(e.g., face angle, lie angle, loft angle, etc.). For example, FIG. 2shows a perspective view of one embodiment of the shaft adapter 120. Asshown in FIG. 2, the shaft adapter 120 may comprise an axial directionchange region 128. The axial direction change region 128 may be definedby the area on the shaft adapter 120 where the upper end 122 extendscoaxially toward a first axial direction 112 away from the axialdirection change region 128. The lower end 124 may then extend coaxiallytoward a second axial direction 114. The axial direction change region128 may be located at any desired position along the shaft adapter 120without departing from this invention, and in this illustrativestructure, the axial direction changes at the connection location of thespherical member 124 to the upper end 122 of the shaft adapter 120. Insome other specific examples, the axial direction change region 128 maybe located in the lower quarter of the shaft adapter 120 nearest to theclub head 102, and even in the lower 10% or 5% of the shaft adapter 120nearest to the club head 102.

Any desired axial direction change angle may be used without departingfrom this inventions, e.g., at least 0.25 degrees, at least 0.5 degrees,at least 1 degree, at least 2 degrees, at least 2.5 degrees, at least 4degrees, or at least 8 degrees. FIG. 7 is a chart illustrating certaincharacteristics of a golf club that may be modified according to variousembodiments of the invention where the shaft adapter's change directionregion 128 is about 2.5 degrees (i.e., the shaft extends away from theclub head hosel axis at an angle of about 2.5 degrees). Specifically,FIG. 7 illustrates the modification of the face angle 702, lie angle704, and loft angle 706 when the orientation of the shaft adapter 120 isvaried. As seen in FIG. 7, the X-axis 708 represents the “Degrees ofRotation,” and the Y-axis 710 represents the “Degrees of Movement” ofthe various angles.

As seen in FIG. 7, when the X-axis 708 is at 0 degrees (e.g., at anarbitrarily defined base orientation for the club head 102), both theface angle 702 and the loft angle 706 are not modified from their baseorientation, and therefore, register at around 0 degrees of movement onthe Y-axis 710. The lie angle 704, however, is modified about 2.5degrees (which represents the angle of the direction change region 102between the shaft adapter's interior axis 114 and the hosel axis 112 ofthe club head 102 (from FIG. 2)). As the shaft adapter 120 is rotatedwithin the hosel insert 130, all three angles (face, lie, and loft)change. As such, the placement of the shaft adapter 120 within the hoselinsert 130 may be modified on a repeated basis to determine a user'spreference, or still yet in other uses, be modified to accommodatemultiple users.

Depending on how the shaft adapter 120 is placed within the club head102, and thus how the axial direction change region 128 is oriented inrelation to the “face” of the club head 102, the playing characteristicsof the club may be modified. This feature, along with the releasableconnection system 104, allows club fitters (or others) to freely andeasily adjust various angles and/or positions of the shaft 106 withrespect to the club head 102 (e.g., variable lie, loft, and face anglecombinations) while still using the same shaft 106 and/or head 102,which can help users more easily determine the optimum club head/shaftcombination and arrangement to suit their needs. The angle and/orposition of the free end of the shaft 106 (at the location of the grip108, remote from the connection assembly 104) may be altered withrespect to the club head 102 (and with respect to the ball strikingface) by differing the rotational placement of spherical member 124within the club head 102. Illustrative embodiments are described belowin relation to FIGS. 3-6.

If desired, the shaft adapter 120 and/or some portion of the club head102 may be marked with indicia to indicate the rotational position ofthe shaft adapter 120 with respect to the club head 102, e.g., to allowusers to better record the club head/shaft orientation and/or to allow areliable return to a previous position after rotation of the shaft 106has taken place.

d. Shaft Retainer

FIGS. 3A and 3B show perspective views of a shaft retainer 140 that maybe utilized according certain embodiments of the invention to releasablysecure the shaft adapter 120 to the head 102. The shaft retainer 140 maytake the form of a hollow structure having an inner perimeter and anouter perimeter. The inner perimeter may be configured to be slidablyengaged and rotated on a club shaft 106, including specific elementsaffixed to the shaft, including for example, the shaft adapter 120. Theinner perimeter and/or shaft 106 may also be tapered or otherwise shapedor configured to prevent the shaft retainer 140 from being removed orotherwise falling off the shaft 106. In other illustrative structures,the ends of the shaft retainer 140 will be sized so as to engage thespherical member 124 provided on the shaft adapter 120, which also willprevent the shaft retainer 140 from being separated from the shaft 106.

The outer perimeter of the shaft retainer 140 may be configured to besecured by the hosel insert 130 within the club head 102. The outerperimeter may comprise threaded securing structures configured tothreadingly engage threaded structures of the hosel insert 130. Thethreaded securing structures are merely an example of one implementationto releasably secure the shaft retainer 140 to the club head 102. Theshaft retainer 140, however, may include other structures in addition toor in place of the threaded securing structures that may aid thesecuring and/or releasing of the shaft retainer 140 from the head 102.In yet further embodiments, the outer perimeter of the shaft retainer140 comprises structures to assist a user from securing and/or releasingthe shaft retainer 140 from the head 102. For example, as shown in FIGS.3A and 3B, a gripping mechanism 142 may be affixed to the outerperimeter to further assist a user to tighten or loosen the connectionbetween the head 102 and the shaft retainer 140, optionally with the useof a tool, such as a torque wrench or other wrench structure. Those ofskill in the art will appreciate that the inner perimeter of the shaftretainer 140, as opposed to the outer perimeter, may also be configuredto be secured by the hosel insert 130.

If desired, a cover element may be provided above the shaft retainer140, to cover some or all of the shaft adapter 120 and/or the shaftretainer 140, and, if desired, to make the hosel junction appear morelike a conventional hosel junction.

The spherical releasable connection assembly 104 between golf club headsand shafts in accordance with some aspects of this invention now will bedescribed in more detail in conjunction with FIGS. 3-6.

B. Discussion of Specific Embodiments of Connection Assembly

To more clearly demonstrate the selected aspects, the various elementsof FIGS. 3-6 have been consistently labeled with the reference numeralsas provided in the previous figures to allow the reader to quickly referback to the respective figure if required.

1. Faceted Ball Connection Assembly

FIGS. 3A and 3B provide a perspective view of an illustrative golf clubhead 102 with a faceted ball releasable connection assembly 104. FIG. 3Aprovides a top perspective view while FIG. 3B provides a side/bottomperspective view of the connection assembly 104. The faceted ballreleasable connection assembly comprises a shaft adapter 120 and a hoselinsert 130. The hosel insert 130 includes an inner perimeter and outerperimeter, wherein the inner perimeter may have a rotation inhibitingstructure. The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by a matingface 132 which is located on a protruding tab 134 within the innerperimeter of the hosel insert 130. There may be more than one protrudingtab 134 and therefore more than one corresponding mating face 132 withinthe inner perimeter of the hosel insert 130.

The shaft adapter 120 includes an upper end 122 and a lower end 124. Theupper end 122 is configured to be attached to the golf club shaft 106.The lower end 124 may be defined by a spherical member. The sphericalmember 124 may include at least one facet 126 which is configured tomate with the mating face 132 of the protruding tab 134. The facet 126may be located along the circumference of the spherical member 124. Whenthe shaft adapter 120 is inserted into the hosel insert 130, the facet126 mates with the mating face 132 to prohibit rotation of the shaftadapter 120 and golf club shaft 106.

The shaft adapter 120 may contain multiple facets 126, 127 along thespherical member 124. The multiple facets 126, 127 may allow the shaftadapter 120 to be inserted into the hosel insert 130 with a first facet126 mating with the mating face 132 of the hosel insert 130. The shaftadapter may then be rotated so that a second facet 127 mates with themating face 132 of the hosel insert 130, etc. Those of skill in the artwill appreciate that the shaft adapter 120 may be rotated and insertedinto the hosel insert 130 in as many configurations as there are facets126, 127 on the spherical member 124.

As described above, the shaft adapter 120 may include an axial changedirection region 128 (from FIG. 2). The angle and/or position of thefree end of the shaft 106 (at the location of the grip 108, remote fromthe connection assembly 104) may be altered with respect to the clubhead 102 by differing the rotational placement of spherical member 124of shaft adapter 120 within the hosel insert 130. Therefore, when theshaft adapter 120 is rotated within the hosel insert 130, the axialchange direction region 128 may cause the playing characteristics of theclub (e.g., its face angle, its loft angle, its lie angle, etc.) to bemodified or adjusted. This feature, along with the releasable connectionassembly, allows club fitters (or others) to freely and easily adjustvarious angles and/or positions of the shaft 106 with respect to theclub head 102 (e.g., variable lie, loft, and face angle combinations)while still using the same shaft 106 and head 102, which can help usersmore easily determine the optimum or desired club head/shaft combinationand arrangement to suit their needs.

The assembly of the illustrative golf club head 102 with a faceted ballreleasable connection assembly 104 as depicted in FIGS. 3A and 3B may bestarted by sliding the shaft 106 into the upper end 122 of the shaftadapter 120 with the shaft retainer 140 located on the shaft 106 abovethe shaft adapter 120. If desired, the shaft 106 may be fixed to theshaft adapter 120 (e.g., by cements or adhesives, by mechanicalconnectors, etc.). Once the shaft retainer 140 is rotatably and slidablyengaged with the shaft 106, the overall connection then may beassembled.

The hosel insert 130 proximate to the exterior portion of the golf clubhead 102 is configured to releasably receive and secure the shaftretainer 140. The hosel insert 130 comprises threaded securingstructures which are configured to threadingly engage the threadedstructures of a complementing shaft retainer 140. The threaded securingstructures of the hosel insert 130 may either be on the inner perimeteror the outer perimeter of the hosel insert 130. When the threadedsecuring structures of the hosel insert 130 are on the inner perimeter,a threaded portion on the exterior of the shaft retainer 140 engages thehosel insert 130. When the threaded securing structures of the hoselinsert 130 are on the outer perimeter, a threaded portion on theinterior of the shaft retainer 140 engages the hosel insert 130.

The shaft adapter 120 may then be inserted into the hosel insert 130 ofthe club head 102. As the shaft adapter 120 slides into the hosel insert130, the mating face 132 of the hosel insert 130 will engage thecorresponding facets 126, 127 of the shaft adapter 120 to therebyprevent the shaft 106 from rotating with respect to the club head 102.

Next in the assembly process, the shaft retainer 140 slides down theshaft 106 and/or shaft adapter 120 and threadingly engages threadedsecuring structures provided on the hosel insert 130. When the shaftretainer 140 is secured, the lower end surfaces of the shaft retainer140 engage the spherical member 124, prohibiting the removal of theshaft adapter 120, thus securing the shaft 106 to the head 102. Theshaft retainer 140 may further be tightened by the gripping mechanism142 to ensure a tight consistent fit and proper alignment, e.g., usingsome type of torque wrench or other tool that engages the grippingmechanism 142. As discussed above, other releasable mechanicalconnection systems are possible without departing from this invention.Also, the various steps in this example assembly procedure may bechanged, combined, changed in order, etc., without departing from thisinvention.

To release the connection of the assembly 104, the threaded (or other)securing structures of the shaft retainer 140 are released from thehosel insert 130, which allows the shaft adapter 120 to be released fromthe hosel insert 130 and the club head 102, while the shaft retainer 140remains on the shaft 106. In this manner, a different shaft 106 can bequickly and easily engaged with the same club head 102 and/or adifferent club head 102 can be quickly and easily engaged with the sameshaft 106. Alternatively, if desired, the shaft 106 may be rotated withrespect to the club head 102 to vary the angles noted above, and adifferent facet 126, 127 may then be engaged with the mating face 132 ata different rotational orientation. Those of skill in the art willreadily appreciate that methods relating to disassembling the connectionassembly 104 is within the scope of the invention.

2. Pinned Ball Connection Assembly

FIGS. 4A and 4B provide a perspective view of an illustrative golf clubhead 102 with a pinned ball releasable connection assembly 104. FIG. 4Aprovides a side perspective view while FIG. 3B provides a topperspective view of the connection assembly 104. The pinned ballreleasable connection assembly comprises a shaft adapter 220 and a hoselinsert 230.

The shaft adapter 220 includes an upper end 222 and a lower end 224. Theupper end 222 may be configured to be attached to the golf club shaft106. The lower end 224 may be defined by a spherical member 224. Thespherical member 224 may include at least one shaft adapter pin groove226.

The hosel insert 230 includes an inner perimeter and outer perimeter,wherein the inner perimeter may have a rotation inhibiting structure.The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by a roll pin 236 and ahosel insert pin groove 232 within the hosel insert 230. The roll pin236 is configured to be inserted into the hosel insert pin groove 232.More than one roll pin 236 and hosel insert pin groove 232 may beutilized in order to secure the shaft adapter 220 to the hosel insert230. Also, there may be a club head pin groove 234 located within theclub head 102 which aligns with the hosel insert pin groove 232.

When the shaft adapter 220 is inserted into the hosel insert 230, theshaft adapter pin groove 226 is aligned with the hosel insert pin groove232 in order to slide the roll pin 236 through the hosel insert pingroove 232 and the shaft adapter pin groove 226 to prohibit rotation ofthe shaft adapter 220 and golf club shaft 106. The roll pin 236 may alsobe inserted through a club head pin groove 232, which aligns with thehosel insert pin groove 232 and the shaft adapter pin groove 226.

The shaft adapter 220 may contain multiple shaft adapter pin grooves226, 227 along the spherical member 224. The multiple shaft adapter pingrooves 226, 227 may allow the shaft adapter 220 to be inserted into thehosel insert 230 with a first shaft adapter pin groove 226 aligning withthe hosel insert pin groove 232. The shaft adapter 220 may then berotated so that a second shaft adapter pin groove 227 aligns with thehosel insert pin groove 232, etc. Those of skill in the art willappreciate that the shaft adapter 220 may be rotated and inserted intothe hosel insert 230 in as many configurations as there are shaftadapter pin grooves 226, 227 on the spherical member 224.

As described above, the shaft adapter 220 may include an axial changedirection region 128 (from FIG. 2). The angle and/or position of thefree end of the shaft 106 (at the location of the grip 108, remote fromthe connection assembly 104) may be altered with respect to the clubhead 102 by differing the rotational placement of spherical member 224of shaft adapter 220 within the hosel insert 230. Therefore, when theshaft adapter 220 is rotated within the hosel insert 230, the axialchange direction region 128 may cause the playing characteristics of theclub (e.g., its face angle, its loft angle, its lie angle, etc.) to bemodified or adjusted. This feature, along with the releasable connectionassembly 104, allows club fitters (or others) to freely and easilyadjust various angles and/or positions of the shaft 106 with respect tothe club head 102 (e.g., variable lie, loft, and face anglecombinations) while still using the same shaft 106 and club head 102,which can help users more easily determine the optimum or desired clubhead/shaft combination and arrangement to suit their needs.

The assembly of the illustrative golf club head 102 with a pinned ballreleasable connection assembly 104 as depicted in FIGS. 4A and 4B maybegin by sliding the shaft 106 into the upper end 222 of the shaftadapter 220 with the shaft retainer 240 located on the shaft 106 abovethe shaft adapter 220. If desired, the shaft 106 may be fixed to theshaft adapter 220 (e.g., by cements or adhesives, by mechanicalconnectors, etc.). Once the shaft retainer 240 is rotatably and slidablyengaged with the shaft 106, the overall connection then may beassembled.

The hosel insert 230 proximate to the exterior portion of the golf clubhead 102 is configured to releasably receive and secure the shaftretainer 240. The hosel insert 230 comprises threaded securingstructures which are configured to threadingly engage the threadedstructures of a complementing shaft retainer 240. The threaded securingstructures of the hosel insert 230 may either be on the inner perimeteror the outer perimeter of the hosel insert 230. When the threadedsecuring structures of the hosel insert 230 are on the inner perimeter,a threaded portion on the exterior of the shaft retainer 240 engages thehosel insert 230. When the threaded securing structures of the hoselinsert 230 are on the outer perimeter, a threaded portion on theinterior of the shaft retainer 240 engages the hosel insert 230.

The shaft adapter 220 may then be inserted into the hosel insert 230 ofthe club head 102. As the shaft adapter 220 slides into the hosel insert220, the shaft adapter pin groove 226 and the hosel insert pin groove232 align with each other in order to slide the roll pin 236 througheach of the grooves 226, 232, thereby preventing the shaft 106 fromrotating with respect to the club head 102. This action may be repeatedif there is more than one roll pin 236 to be inserted into the pingrooves 226, 232.

Next in the assembly process, the shaft retainer 240 slides down theshaft 106 and/or shaft adapter 220 and threadingly engages the threadedsecuring structures provided on the hosel insert 230. When the shaftretainer 240 is secured, the lower end surfaces of the shaft retainer240 engage the spherical member 224, prohibiting the removal of theshaft adapter 220, thus securing the shaft 106 to the head 102. Theshaft retainer 240 may further be tightened by the gripping mechanism242 to ensure a tight consistent fit and proper alignment, e.g., usingsome type of torque wrench or other tool that engages the grippingmechanism 242. As discussed above, other releasable mechanicalconnection systems are possible without departing from this invention.Also, the various steps in this example assembly procedure may bechanged, combined, changed in order, etc., without departing from thisinvention.

To release the connection of the assembly 104, the threaded (or other)securing structures of the shaft retainer 240 are released from thehosel insert 230. The roll pins 236 must then be slid out from the pingrooves 226, 232 in order to allow the shaft adapter 220 to be removedfrom the hosel insert 230 of the club head 102, while the shaft retainer240 remains on the shaft 106. In this manner, a different shaft 106 canbe quickly and easily engaged with the same club head 102 and/or adifferent club head 102 can be quickly and easily engaged with the sameshaft 106. Alternatively, if desired, the shaft 106 may be rotated withrespect to the club head 102 to vary the angles noted above, and adifferent set of shaft adapter pin grooves 226, 227 may then be alignedwith the hosel insert pin grooves 232 at a different rotationalorientation. Those of skill in the art will readily appreciate thatmethods relating to disassembling the assembly 104 is within the scopeof the invention.

3. Pin-and-Hole Connection Assembly

FIGS. 5A-5C provide a perspective view of an illustrative golf club head102 with a pin-and-hole releasable connection assembly 104. FIG. 5Aprovides a top perspective view while FIG. 5B provides a top perspectiveview of the hosel insert 330, and FIG. 5C provides a side perspectiveview of the connection assembly completed. The pin-and-hole releasableconnection assembly comprises a shaft adapter 320 and a hosel insert330.

The hosel insert 330 includes an inner perimeter and outer perimeter,wherein the inner perimeter may have a rotation inhibiting structure.The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by a mating face 332located within the inner perimeter of the hosel insert 330. The matingface 332 may be further defined by a plurality of different angledmating faces within the hosel insert 330. FIG. 5B depicts six differentangled mating faces. Those of skill in the art will appreciate that morethan six angled mating faces and less than six angled mating faces maybe used.

The shaft adapter 320 may be configured to be attached to the golf clubshaft 106. The shaft adapter 320 may be defined by a spherical member.The spherical member 320 may include a facet 322, wherein the facet 322is configured to mate with the mating face 332. The facet 322 may befurther defined by a cone-shaped structure 322 on the end of thespherical member 320. The cone-shaped structure 322 is configured toslidingly fit into and mate with the angled mating faces 332, 334. Whenthe shaft adapter 320 is inserted into the hosel insert 330, thecone-shaped structure 322 mates with one of the angled mating faces 332to prohibit rotation of the shaft adapter 320 and golf club shaft 106.

As depicted in FIG. 5B, the hosel insert 330 may contain multiple angledmating faces 332, 334 within the interior of the hosel insert 330. Themultiple angled mating faces 332, 334 may allow the shaft adapter 320 tobe inserted into the hosel insert 330 with the cone shaped structure 322mating with a first angled mating face 332. The shaft adapter 320 maythen be rotated so that the cone shaped structure 322 mates with asecond angled mating face 334, etc. Those of skill in the art willappreciate that the shaft adapter 320 may be rotated and inserted intothe hosel insert 330 in as many configurations as there are angledmating faces 332, 334.

As described above, the shaft adapter 320 may include an axial changedirection region 128 (from FIG. 2). The angle and/or position of thefree end of the shaft 106 (at the location of the grip 108, remote fromthe connection assembly 104) may be altered with respect to the clubhead 102 by differing the rotational placement of shaft adapter 320within the hosel insert 330. Therefore, when the shaft adapter 320 isrotated within the hosel insert 330, the axial change direction region128 may cause the playing characteristics of the club (e.g., its faceangle, its loft angle, its lie angle, etc.) to be modified or adjusted.This feature, along with the releasable connection assembly 104, allowsclub fitters (or others) to freely and easily adjust various anglesand/or positions of the shaft 106 with respect to the club head 102(e.g., variable lie, loft, and face angle combinations) while stillusing the same shaft 106 and head 102, which can help users more easilydetermine the optimum or desired club head/shaft combination andarrangement to suit their needs.

The assembly of the illustrative golf club head with a pin-and-holereleasable connection assembly 104 as depicted in FIGS. 5A-5C may bestarted by sliding the shaft adapter 320 onto the shaft 106 with theshaft retainer 340 located above the shaft adapter 320. If desired, theshaft 106 may be fixed to the shaft adapter 320 (e.g., by cements oradhesives, by mechanical connectors, etc.). Once the shaft retainer 340is rotatably and slidably engaged with the shaft 106, the overallconnection then may be assembled.

The hosel insert 330 proximate to the exterior portion of the golf clubhead 102 is configured to releasably receive and secure the shaftretainer 340. The hosel insert 330 comprises threaded securingstructures which are configured to threadingly engage the threadedstructures of a complementing shaft retainer 340. The threaded securingstructures of the hosel insert 330 may either be on the inner perimeteror the outer perimeter of the hosel insert 330. When the threadedsecuring structures of the hosel insert 330 are on the inner perimeter,a threaded portion on the exterior of the shaft retainer 340 engages thehosel insert 330. When the threaded securing structures of the hoselinsert 330 are on the outer perimeter, a threaded portion on theinterior of the shaft retainer 340 engages the hosel insert 330.

The shaft adapter 320 may then be inserted into the hosel insert 330 ofthe club head 102. As the shaft adapter 320 slides into the hosel insert330, the cone shaped structure 322 of the shaft adapter 320 mates withone of the angled mating faces 332, thereby preventing the shaft 106from rotating with respect to the club head 102. This action may berepeated if there are multiple angled mating faces 332, 334.

Next in the assembly process, the shaft retainer 340 slides down theshaft 106 and/or shaft adapter 320 and threadingly engages threadedsecuring structures provided on the hosel insert 330. When the shaftretainer 340 is secured, the lower end surfaces of the shaft retainer340 engage the spherical member of the shaft adapter 320, whichprohibits the removal of the shaft adapter 320, thus securing the shaft106 to the head 102. The shaft retainer 340 may further be tightened bythe gripping mechanism 342 to ensure a tight consistent fit and properalignment, e.g., using some type of torque wrench or other tool thatengages the gripping mechanism 342. As discussed above, other releasablemechanical connection systems are possible without departing from thisinvention. Also, the various steps in this example assembly proceduremay be changed, combined, changed in order, etc., without departing fromthis invention.

To release the connection of the assembly 104, the threaded (or other)securing structures of the shaft retainer 340 are released from thehosel insert 330, which allows the shaft adapter 320 to be released fromthe hosel insert 330 and the club head 102, while the shaft retainer 340remains on the shaft 106. In this manner, a different shaft 106 can bequickly and easily engaged with the same club head 102 and/or adifferent club head 102 can be quickly and easily engaged with the sameshaft 106. Alternatively, if desired, the shaft 106 may be rotated withrespect to the club head 102 to vary the angles noted above, and thecone-shaped structure 322 may be inserted into a different angled matingface 332, 334 at a different rotational orientation. Those skilled inthe art will readily appreciate that methods relating to disassemblingthe assembly 104 is within the scope of the invention.

4. Tabbed Ball Connection Assembly

FIGS. 6A and 6B provide a perspective view of an illustrative golf clubhead 102 with a tabbed ball releasable connection assembly 104. FIG. 6Aprovides a side perspective view of the connection assembly while FIG.6B provides a side perspective view of the connection assemblycompleted. The tabbed ball releasable connection assembly comprises ashaft adapter 420 and a hosel insert 430.

The shaft adapter 420 includes an upper end 422 and a lower end 424. Theupper end 422 may be configured to be attached to the golf club shaft106. The lower end 424 may be defined by a spherical member. Thespherical member 424 may include at least one tab 426. The tab 426 maybe located on the end of the spherical member 424.

The hosel insert 430 includes an inner perimeter and outer perimeter,wherein the inner perimeter may have a rotation inhibiting structure.The rotation inhibiting structure may be defined by at least onereceiving slot 432 within the inner perimeter of the hosel insert 430.The receiving slot 432 is configured to receive the tab 426. When theshaft adapter 420 is inserted into the hosel insert 430, the tab 426slides into the receiving slot 432 of the hosel insert 430 to prohibitrotation of the shaft adapter 420 and golf club shaft 106.

The hosel insert 430 may contain multiple receiving slots 432, 434within the interior of the hosel insert 430. The multiple receivingslots 432, 434 may allow the shaft adapter 420 to be inserted into thehosel insert 430 with the tab 426 sliding into a first receiving slot432. The shaft adapter 420 may then be rotated so that the tab 426slides into a second receiving slot 434, etc. Those of skill in the artwill appreciate that the shaft adapter 420 may be rotated and insertedinto the hosel insert 430 in as many configurations as there arereceiving slots 432, 434.

As described above, the shaft adapter 420 may include an axial changedirection region 128 (from FIG. 2). The angle and/or position of thefree end of the shaft 106 (at the location of the grip 108, remote fromthe connection assembly 104) may be altered with respect to the clubhead 102 by differing the rotational placement of spherical member ofshaft adapter 420 within the hosel insert 430. Therefore, when the shaftadapter 420 is rotated within the hosel insert 430, the axial changedirection region 128 may cause the playing characteristics of the club(e.g., its face angle, its loft angle, its lie angle, etc.) to bemodified or adjusted. This feature, along with the releasable connectionassembly 104, allows club fitters (or others) to freely and easilyadjust various angles and/or positions of the shaft 106 with respect tothe club head 102 (e.g., variable lie, loft, and face anglecombinations) while still using the same shaft 106 and head 102, whichcan help users more easily determine the optimum club head/shaftcombination and arrangement to suit their needs.

The assembly of the illustrative golf club head 102 with a tabbed ballreleasable connection assembly 104 as depicted in FIGS. 6A and 6B may bestarted by sliding the shaft 106 into the upper end 422 of the shaftadapter 420 with the shaft retainer 440 located on the shaft 106 abovethe adapter 420. If desired, the shaft 106 may be fixed to the shaftadapter 420 (e.g., by cements or adhesives, by mechanical connectors,etc.). Once the shaft retainer 440 is rotatably and slidably engagedwith the shaft 106, the overall connection then may be assembled.

The hosel insert 430 proximate to the exterior portion of the golf clubhead 102 is configured to releasably receive and secure the shaftretainer 440. The hosel insert 430 comprises threaded securingstructures which are configured to threadingly engage the threadedstructures of a complementing shaft retainer 440. The threaded securingstructures of the hosel insert 430 may either be on the inner perimeteror the outer perimeter of the hosel insert 430. When the threadedsecuring structures of the hosel insert 430 are on the inner perimeter,a threaded portion on the exterior of the shaft retainer 440 engages thehosel insert 430. When the threaded securing structures of the hoselinsert 430 are on the outer perimeter, a threaded portion on theinterior of the shaft retainer 440 engages the hosel insert 430.

The shaft adapter 420 may then be inserted into the hosel insert 430 ofthe club head 102. As the shaft adapter 420 slides into the hosel insert430, the tab 426 of the spherical member 424 slides into one of thereceiving slots 432 within the hosel insert 430, thereby preventing theshaft 106 from rotating with respect to the club head 102. This actionmay be repeated if there are multiple receiving slots 432, 434 withinthe hosel insert 430.

Next in the assembly process, the shaft retainer 440 slides down theshaft 106 and/or shaft adapter 420 and threadingly engages threadedsecuring structures provided on the hosel insert 430. When the shaftretainer 440 is secured, the lower end surfaces of the shaft retainer440 engage the spherical member 424, prohibiting the removal of theshaft adapter 420, thus securing the shaft 106 to the head 102. Theshaft retainer 440 may further be tightened by the gripping mechanism442 to further ensure a tight consistent fit and proper alignment, e.g.,using some type of torque wrench or other tool that engages the grippingmechanism 442. As discussed above, other releasable mechanicalconnection systems are possible without departing from this invention.Also, the various steps in this example assembly procedure may bechanged, combined, changed in order, etc., without departing from thisinvention.

To release the connection of the assembly 104, the threaded (or other)securing structures of the shaft retainer 440 are released from thehosel insert 430, which allows the shaft adapter 420 to be released fromthe hosel insert 430 of the club head 102, while the shaft retainer 440remains on the shaft 106. In this manner, a different shaft 106 can bequickly and easily engaged with the same club head 102 and/or adifferent club head 102 can be quickly and easily engaged with the sameshaft 106. Alternatively, if desired, the shaft 106 may be rotated withrespect to the club head 102 to vary the angles noted above, and the tab426 is inserted into a different receiving slot 432, 434 at a differentrotational orientation. Those of skill in the art will readilyappreciate that methods relating to disassembling the assembly 104 iswithin the scope of the invention.

C. Additional Embodiments

The releasable connection assemblies 104 may be used in any desiredmanner without departing from the invention. The clubs with suchconnection assemblies may be designed for use by the golfer in play (andoptionally, if desired, the golfer may freely change shafts, heads,and/or their positioning with respect to one another). As anotherexample, if desired, clubs including releasable connections inaccordance with the invention may be used as club fitting tools and whenthe desired combination of head, shaft, and positioning have beendetermined for a specific golfer, a club builder may use the determinedinformation to then produce a final desired golf club product usingsuitable (and permanent) mounting techniques (e.g., cements oradhesives). Other variations in the club/shaft connection assembly partsand processes are possible without departing from this invention.

Many variations in the overall structure of the shaft, club head, andclub head/shaft connection assembly are possible without departing fromthis invention. Furthermore, the various steps of the described assemblyprocesses may be altered, changed in order, combined, and/or omittedwithout departing from the invention. Additionally or alternatively, ifdesired, in such structures, the club head can be quickly and easilyexchanged for a different one on the shaft (e.g., a club head ofdifferent loft, lie angle, size, brand, etc.).

CONCLUSION

While the invention has been described in detail in terms of specificexamples including presently preferred modes of carrying out theinvention, those of skill in the art will appreciate that there arenumerous variations and permutations of the above described systems andmethods. Thus, the spirit and scope of the invention should be construedbroadly as set forth in the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A golf club, comprising: a golf club shaft; a golf clubhead having an interior chamber; a shaft adapter having an upper end anda lower end, wherein the upper end is attached to the golf club shaftand the lower end has a spherical portion inserted into the interiorchamber, wherein the shaft adapter is configured to be inserted at aplurality of different configurations, wherein a first configurationprovides different club characteristics than a second configuration,wherein in the first configuration the spherical portion is in adifferent rotational position within the interior chamber than in thesecond configuration, and wherein the shaft adapter comprises an axialdirection change region configured to offset an axis of the shaft withrespect to a hosel axis of the golf club head and wherein the sphericalportion extends less than 25% of an overall axial length of the shaftadapter; a shaft retainer configured to engage the shaft adapter.
 2. Thegolf club of claim 1, wherein the club characteristics include one ormore of a lie angle of the club head, a face angle of the club head, anda loft angle of the club head.
 3. The golf club of claim 1, wherein theaxial direction change region is an area on the shaft adapter where theupper end extends coaxially toward a first axial direction away from theaxial direction change region, and further wherein the lower end extendscoaxially toward a second axial direction different than the first axialdirection.
 4. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the offset is about 1degree.
 5. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the offset is about 2degrees.
 6. The golf club of claim 1, wherein the shaft adapter includesa region made of aluminum.
 7. The golf club of claim 6, wherein theshaft adapter includes a region having a hard anodize coating.
 8. Thegolf club head of claim 1, wherein the club head and the shaft adapterare marked with indicia to indicate the rotational position of the shaftadapter.
 9. The golf club head of claim 1, wherein the shaft adapterincludes a region made of a polymer.
 10. The golf club head of claim 1,wherein the shaft adapter contains multiple facets.
 11. The golf clubhead of claim 1, wherein the spherical portion extends less than 15% ofan overall axial length of the shaft adapter.
 12. The golf club head ofclaim 1, wherein the spherical portion extends less than 35% of anoverall axial length of the shaft adapter.
 13. A connection assembly forreleasably connecting a golf club shaft and golf club head comprising: ashaft adapter having an upper end and a lower end, wherein the upper endis attached to the golf club shaft and the lower end has a sphericalportion inserted into the interior chamber, wherein the shaft adapter isconfigured to be inserted at a plurality of different configurations,wherein a first configuration provides different club characteristicsthan a second configuration, wherein in the first configuration thespherical portion is in a different rotational position within theinterior chamber than in the second configuration, wherein the shaftadapter comprises an axial direction change region configured to offsetan axis of the shaft with respect to a hosel axis of the golf club headand wherein the spherical portion extends less than 25% of an overallaxial length of the shaft adapter; and a shaft retainer configured toengage the shaft adapter.
 14. The connection assembly of claim 13,wherein the club characteristics include one or more of a lie angle ofthe club head, a face angle of the club head, and a loft angle of theclub head.
 15. The connection assembly of claim 13, wherein the axialdirection change region is an area on the shaft adapter where the upperend extends coaxially toward a first axial direction away from the axialdirection change region, and further wherein the lower end extendscoaxially toward a second axial direction different than the first axialdirection.
 16. The connection assembly of claim 13, wherein the offsetis about 1 degree.
 17. The connection assembly of claim 13, wherein theoffset is about 2 degrees.
 18. The connection assembly of claim 13,wherein the shaft adapter includes a region made of aluminum.
 19. Theconnection assembly of claim 18, wherein the shaft adapter includes aregion having a hard anodize coating.
 20. The connection assembly ofclaim 13, wherein the shaft adapter includes a region made of a polymer.21. The connection assembly of claim 13, wherein the shaft adaptercontains multiple facets.
 22. The connection assembly of claim 13,wherein the spherical portion extends less than 15% of an overall axiallength of the shaft adapter.
 23. The connection assembly of claim 13,wherein the spherical portion extends less than 35% of an overall axiallength of the shaft adapter.